Finnair world's safest airline

Finnair, the national airline of Finland is the world's safest airline, according to Europe's Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre. Finnair is the fifth oldest airline in the world with uninterrupted existence. It last suffered fatal or hull-loss accidents in 1963.

It ranked Air New Zealand second, followed by Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific.

British Airways was the highest ranking UK carrier, making it into 10th position.

Virgin Atlantic came 15th, easyJet 17th, Thomas Cook Airlines 18th, Thomson fly 26th and Ryanair 32nd.

JACDEC collects and analyses safety occurrences from airlines around the world.

The Safety Index ratings are calculated by comparing serious incidents suffered by airlines over the past 30 years to the revenue passenger kilometres they have flown over the same period. Airlines are also measured against other international safety benchmarks.

No US airline made the top 20, Southwest Airlines coming in highest at No 21.

The Safety Index Top Ten

1 Finnair

2 Air New Zealand

3 Cathay Pacific

4 Emirates

5 Etihad

6 Eva Air

7 Tap Portugal

8 Hainan Airlines

9 Virgin Australia

10 British Airways

Other rankings included Lufthansa (11), ANA (12), Qantas (13), Jetstar Airways (20), Qatar Airways (22), Air Asia (29), Singapore Airlines (30), Malaysia Airlines (35), China Southern Airlines (48), South African Airways (52), Thai Airways International (53), Air India (58) and China Airlines (60).

Virgin Atlantic's proposed new partner Delta, which is planning to buy a stake in the UK airline, came 28th.

In total, there were 496 fatalitites on commercial flights last year, two fewer than in 2011. The number of hull losses (aircraft write-offs) was 44, one less than the previous year.

Nigerian panel throws out fines against BA, Virgin Atlantic

LAGOS A Nigerian judicial panel has thrown out fines totaling $235 million imposed on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic by the country's civil aviation authorities, officials said on Friday.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had argued that BA and Virgin Atlantic charged more for routes to Nigeria than to nearby Ghana and alleged that they colluded over fares.
In November, it fined British Airways $135 million (100 million euros) and Virgin Atlantic $100 million, while a judicial panel was assigned to look into the case.
Harold Demuren, head of the civil aviation authority, told AFP the panel "cancelled the fines because at the time of the offence between 2004 and 2006, there was no law to make them culpable."
"As far as we are concerned, the two airlines are guilty," he said.
Both airlines have denied the allegations. Demuren said the authority intended to pursue the matter further, but was still studying which steps to take.
The fines came as Nigeria's government engaged in negotiations with British officials over allegations that British Airways had been overcharging on its routes between Nigeria and Britain.
It also held talks with British officials over slots at London's Heathrow airport. Demuren denied at the time that the fines were linked to the negotiations over the Heathrow slots.